Howler
by Thalia Kendall
Summary: A cute, fluffy one-shot vignette about Percy and Hermione's marriage...where does Ginny and a howler come into play here? *DONE!*


Wheee!! Another Percy/Hermione fic!! Note to self...do NOT piss Ginny off...ph34r me....  
  
Disclaimers apply...we all know that I unfortunately don't own any of the Weasley boys...  
  
***  
  
It was a gloriously sunny morning outside, the skies were blue, the birds were singing, the flowers of summertime were in bloom. It was one of those days that someone could half-expect corny music to start playing from nowhere, and happy people to be dancing around barefoot in flowery meadows.   
  
Therefore, Ginny Weasley was most surprised to find Hermione in her room, lying face-down on her bed still in her pajamas, sobbing heartbrokenly into the pillows.  
  
The redheaded woman's eyes widened in alarm, and gently, she shook her friend's shoulder. Hermione lifted her head and looked up at Ginny, lips still trembling, eyes red. Without a word, the younger woman gave Hermione a hug, holding her until she calmed down.  
  
"Mione, are you okay?" Ginny asked softly. Hermione sniffled and did not answer. Ginny took one good look in her friend's eyes, and sighed.  
  
"Okay, what did my prat of a brother do this time?"  
  
Hermione managed a weak chuckle. "Fred and George didn't do anything, for once."  
  
Ginny smirked, "Even if they did do something, they can't get to you like that. So, tell me, what did Percy do to you?"  
  
Hermione wiped away her tears and blushed somewhat. "It's rather silly, actually."  
  
Ginny raised one eyebrow. "If it's that silly, then why were you crying?"  
  
Hermione's lips started to quiver again. "Yesterday was our anniversary, you know. I had spent the whole day trying to make everything perfect. The first year of us together as husband and wife. I spent the entire afternoon making sure that everything was just right..."  
  
Ginny winced. "And...?"  
  
"I waited for him to come home from work. 7 o'clock, he didn't come home. 8 o'clock, he still didn't come home. I waited til midnight, and no sign of him. So, I finally went to bed."  
  
Ginny made a mental note to yell at her brother.  
  
Hermione continued, "This morning, when I woke up, he was already gone." She took a note from the top of a table, and handed it to Ginny.  
  
'Hermione, I'll be working overtime again tonight. Don't wait up. - Percy.' Ginny read aloud, her expression darkening. All of the sudden, the red-headed woman stood straight up, and hurriedly conjured up a cup of hot cocoa.  
  
"Drink, you'll feel better." Ginny said quickly to Hermione, "I have something I need to do."  
  
~~~  
  
Percy Weasley was the only one out of all his siblings to never have received one before while he was a student at Hogwarts, so when the red envelope arrived, he absentmindedly opened it, and then almost had a heart attack when his sister's furious voice started screaming at him.  
  
"PERCIVAL ROBERT WEASLEY, YOU STUPID GIT! I AM ASHAMED OF YOU!!! YESTERDAY WAS YOUR ANNIVERSARY AND INSTEAD OF GOING HOME TO YOUR WIFE YOU SIT HERE ON YOUR ARSE AND RUIN IT FOR HER!! SHE SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY TRYING TO MAKE EVERYTHING PERFECT FOR YOU AND YOU DON'T EVEN REMEMBER OR CARE!! AND NOT ONLY THAT, YOU DON'T APOLOGIZE OR GIVE ANY EXPLANATION, JUST LEAVE HER TO SIT ALONE AND TWIDDLE HER THUMBS ALL DAY LONG AGAIN TODAY!! HERMIONE IS A WONDERFUL WOMAN WHO LOVES YOU WITH ALL HER HEART, BUT FROM HOW YOU'RE ACTING RIGHT NOW, I HAVEN'T THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHY!! OF ALL THE INCONSIDERATE THINGS TO DO, YOU [I]DON'T[/I] JUST ABANDON YOUR WIFE ON YOUR BLOODY ANNIVERSARY!! I WENT TO YOUR HOUSE THIS MORNING AND FOUND HER CRYING HER EYES OUT!! YOU BETTER GO HOME AND MAKE AMENDS OR I WILL NEVER SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN!!!"   
  
The howler burst into flames and extinguished itself a moment after, and Percy was left staring at the pile of ashes on his desk in shock.   
  
"Ahem!" A throat cleared behind him. Percy flushed to the roots of his hair and turned around. Looking at him, with a quizzical expression on his face, was Mr. Peterson, his boss.  
  
"Percy, you're a wonderful employee, dedicated, motivated, intelligent and enthusiastic. However, if your sister ever has any cause to send you another one of those," gesturing the remains of the Howler on Percy's desk, "I will have no choice but to fire you." The older man's stern face broke into a smile.  
  
"Now go home. I do not want to see you here again for the rest of the day, and you're not to come a minute earlier than ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Is that understood?"  
  
Percy nodded mutely, and a second later, a soft popping sound was heard, as he apparated away.  
  
~~~  
  
Hermione had finished Ginny's cocoa, and was contemplating changing out of her pajamas when she heard a small popping sound right behind her. Whirling around in surprise, she encountered a faceful of red roses. And behind the red roses, a head of red hair, crowning a face full of abject wretchedness and regret. Carelessly setting the roses down on the nearby table, he opened his arms to her. She dashed forward, and felt his arms tighten around her, his face buried in her hair mumbling apologies as her tears started again, damping the front of his robes.   
  
"Mione, love, I'm so sorry. I'm a prat, and I've been neglecting you shamefully. I'm so sorry..." He whispered softly when her tears had subsided somewhat, "I'll not do it again...please let me make it up to you."  
  
She lifted tearful eyes to gaze up at his face. It wore a genuinely contrite expression, but she had to make sure that he really wouldn't do it again.  
  
"I made your favorite foods yesterday." she told him softly, "After midnight, I put them away in the box with a bunch of freezing charms. They're not going to taste as good today..."  
  
"That doesn't matter at all, Mione, I should have been here last night, with you, so..." he paused, cupping her still slightly tearstained face in his hands, "We can still celebrate tonight, and I promise not to do this to you ever again."  
  
Finally, Hermione nodded, and leaned up to kiss him. One hand tangled in her long brown hair, the other tight around her waist, Percy proceeded to show her just how truly sorry he was.  
  
~~~  
Fast Forward Approximately Nine Months...hehehehe!!  
~~~  
  
A breathless Ginny Weasley ran down one of the corridors of St. Mungos and flung open a door. Clutching a stitch in her side, she dashed to the bed.  
  
"Mione...s-sorry I'm late..." Ginny gasped, trying to catch her breath. Hermione, lying on the bed, gave a wan but jubilant smile.   
  
"Geneva Rose Weasley, meet Genevieve Hermia Weasley." Percy, grinning from ear to ear, handed a small bundle wrapped in a pink blanket to his sister. "Gina, for short."  
  
Ginny gently took the baby in her arms, and peered at her newborn niece's face. She had Mione's inquisitive brown eyes, but was already showing signs of having the red Weasley hair. And, as she opened her mouth and let out a loud cry, signs of having the fiery Weasley temper as well. Ginny chuckled, and handed the baby back to Percy.  
  
Ron, sitting on a chair by the door, remarked mildly, "My, what a little howler."  
  
Ginny and Percy exchanged a look and snickered softly.  
  
****Fin****  
  
wheee!!! What think all of you? 


End file.
